Attogneys



F. L. IVICGAHAN.v

TURBINE LOCOMTIVE. APPLlcAixoN HLED 00114, 191s.

@wf/ffii? 'f F. L. M CGAHAN. TURBINE LOCOMOTIVE.

Patented Deo. 9,1919.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4. 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR:

BY W

M NEYS.

F. L. lVIcGAHAN.

TURBINE LoCoMolvE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. n4, 191s. n f' Patented Dec.` 9,1919.

l 'Arr Nar.

F. L. MCGAHAN.

TURBINE LOCONIOTIVE.

APPLICATION FILED oc. 14, 19m.

1 ,324,427. Patented Dee. 9, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

AT RNEY- F. L. MCGA'HAN.

TURBINE LOCONIOTI'VE.

APPLICATION FILED oCT. I4, IQIB.

1,324,427. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

GSHEETS-SHEET 6.

JN VEN TOR J FPEDIfR/ck L. M 9 Gli/MA;

TT RNEY.

FREDERICK L. MCGAHAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TURBINE-LOCOMOTIVE.

meegaat.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 19719.

' Continuation in part cf application Serial No. 210,146, filed January 3, 1918. This application led October 14, 1918. Serial No. 258,127.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, FREDERICK L. Mo'- GAHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine-Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis is a continuation in part of an application iiled by me January 3, 1918, serially numbered 210,146, that issued as Patent 1,292,899, dated January 21, 1919.

rlhis invention relates to a steam turbine of the radial impulse type, and is illustrated as applied to the auxiliary driving of a locomotive engine, with the construction suitable for such application by means of which more power is lderived for the said purpose and applied thereto, not only because of the use of the said turbine as part of the driving mechanism but, also, because of the application of the power through a plurality of turbines (Where desired) and a plurality of wheel groups, which results in greater power being exerted upon the train by the locomotive. All this is accomplished with an economyof steam, not only because steam is used more than once for power and afterward can be used for heating the train, but, also,

because theherein-described mechanism enables the derivation of power from steam ot lower pressure than is now useful for that purpose, whereby, as may be said, all the power ofthe steam (instead of, as now, only part of its power) is utilized. Moreover, this mechanism eliminates wasteful and objectionable gas, smoke, sparks, and cinders by drawing the same out of the rebox and returning the solid particles thereto for further combustion. Uther'economies, advantages, and improvements will hereinafter v appear.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which like numbers of reference denote like parts I wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a quadruple driven locomotive illustrating the application of the steam turbine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the turbine taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the governr;

e driven by the other.

view around the rotor valves taken on the line 6 6, Fig'. 7;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken on .the line 7 7, Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view taken on the line 8 8, Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a similar section like Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of governor and rotor valves, taken on the line 9 9, Figs. 10, 11, and 12;

Fig. 10 is a plan section, taken on the line ilo- 10, rig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan section, taken on the line :ii-41, Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a plan section, taken on the line 12-12, rig. 9, e

F ig. 13 is an enlarged fragmental sec- :tional View around the modified form of rotor valves, taken on the line 13 13,

Fig. 15; Fig. 14 is a View taken on the line M l,

. rig. is

Fig. 16 is a diagram, illustrating a development of the circular cam, for tripping the valve levers;

Fig. 17 is a similar diagram;

Fig. 18 is also a similar diagram;

Fig. 19 is an enlarged view of the ernor gear segments;

Fig. 2O is a tragmental sectional perspective of the fan;

Fig. 2.1 is a section on the line 21-2-1, Fig. 1;'and FFig. 22 is a section on the line 22 22,

rEhe locomotive 1 is provided with the customary driving-wheels 2 and forward truckwheels 3. Driving-wheels 2 are driven from cylinder 5 in the usual manner. The tender truck-wheels are in two sets, onel set being Thus it` will be seen that a quadruple-drive is applied to the loco-- motive, the same steam being usedfor all,` and may be afterward used for heating the train. By the system herein described a greater proportion of the energy of the steam is utilized for driving purposes than is attained in prior locomotives, so much so that this apparatus derives driving force from the steam until the steam is reduced to only four or tive pounds pressure, after which it may be usedfor heating, as above stated.

A turbine 6, which rotates the shaft 7, drives tne truck-wheels 3; and the turbine 8, which rotates the shaft 9, drives the truck- Wheels 4. Both these turbines are of the same construction, Wit-h the exception that turbine 8 has no fan or smoke pipe, as hereinafter described. The locomotive 1 is adapted to travel in either direction, which is particularly true in view of the location of one of the said turbines at each end thereof.

The smoke stack 1() Will normally not be used, because of the draft of smoke and cinders as hereinafter described and the return of the cinders to the lire-box 11 by ,an automatic screw-Stoker (not shown) and the mixture of the smoke with the steam in the turbine 6.

The initial super-heated steam is conveyed from the boiler 12 through the manifold or divider 13 to and through the pipes 14 and 15 to both sides of the locomotive and admitted to cylinder 5 and after said steam has been used in cylinder 5 to drive the piston rod 16 and thus the main driving-Wheels.

2 in the customary manner, the steam ex hausts from said cylinder 5 into the passages 17 and 18, leading to pipes 19. Said passages are conveniently connected to the intake pipes 19 of the turbine 6, therefore the pony truck turbine 6 uses an intermediate pressure of steam, which is the exhaust from cylinder 5. This steam passes through pipe 19 and thence into the chamber 20 surrounding the revoluble rotor 21 having helical grooves in its surface adapted to receive frictional and impelling contact from` the incoming steam, thereby deriving its rotary motion and driving shaft 7 which is connected to trucks 3.

The turbine 6 can be cut in or out by use of valves 22 and 23, which are operated from the cabs through reach-rods 24 by any7 convenient method.

Having thus energized the turbine 6, the steam passes through exhaust pipes 25 to energize turbine 8, the said pipes 25 being located on each side of the locomotive v1. The rotary motion of rotor 21 rotates shaft 9, which thereby drives truck-Wheels 4, the

righthand set of which in Fig. 1 is driven from the letthand set in the said figures,

by any convenient method. Driving ot' the said Wheels may be accomplished in any other suitable manner, as, for instance, by beveled gears, .a universal shaft, or the like. 'it should be understood that the action of turbine 8 on shaft 9 and trucks 4 is the same as that of turbine 6 on shaft 7 and trucks 3, with the exception that truck-Wheels 4 necesa? are a double set as compared with truck- Wheels 3.

Each rotor 21 is of substantially the same construction and mounted and connected in substantially the same manner. Upon the support 2G above the trucks is fastened a ball-race 27, which bears the bottom ot the rotor 28.

The fan 29 .has a hub 90 fixed to the shaft 7 having a plurality of cups 91 adapte-d to connect to the iange 34.

The cups 91 open in the direction. toward which they rotate, tending to force the intake. The shape Within each cup diverts the air from its direction when admitted to a direct-ion approximately at an angle of 90 degrees thereto.

Fan 29 draws hot air, smoke and cinders through pipes 30 from the top of the tirebox 11, into the hollou7 chamber 50 ot the rotor 21, and thereby the steam that enters chamber 20 through pipes 19 is reheated or superheated, because the h'ot dames and gases heat the metal of the rotor 21 thereby reheating and drying the exhaust steam from the cylinders 5, after the said steam enters the chamber 20. A ball race 27 coperatcs with a groove in the bottom 28 ot' rotor 21 and a groove in support 26 and 31, also, a ball race 32, coperates with a groove 33 in the'fiange 34 of the fan 29, and a groove 35 in the rotor housing 3G, thereby allowing the rotor 21 to rotate freely as impelled by lthe action oi the steam admitted through pipes 19, upon the helical grooves .37, and, thereby rotating shaft 7, to which is fixed the said rotor 21. After the steam has passed throunfh the chamber 20 of the helical grooves 3??, it then passes into the chamber 38 of the support 26 and thence through pipe 25 to turbine 8.

The steam passes through the pipe 25 along each side of the locomotive 1 to avertical portion of the pipe 25 at 39 and through this portion of the pipe to the con tinuation ot pipe 25 numberedas shown in Fig. 1 at 40.

The object of this vertical pipe 39 is to provide means of' separation of the steam from the Water, i. e., to take the humidity out of the steam which is actuated by gravity,l the Water dropping to the bottom of the T 41 and Flowing to a iltering mechanism 42. i 4

This turbine 8 may be run independent of low pressure steam, as it has twov connections. The one connection to the pipe 40 which is the loW pressure steam pipe and the pipe 43 which vis connected directly to the superheating coils 44. Thus when the engine is standing still and turbine 8 is desired to run for the making of electricity, pumping air, or some other reason, byturning ott steam from pipe 40' and cutting in high pressure steam from. pipe 43 this object can be accomplished. After the steam has passed through the turbine 8 in its specilic operation it enters a radiator or condenser 47 through which it passes and emcrges as water. The water then passes through pipe 48 in a filter 42, Where it is freed from the last traces of boiler scale, residue, and grit, then flowing through pipe 45 to the Watertank 46 of the tender and thence is pumped back into the boiler as distilled water, by any common pump yas shown at 49. l

Fuel, preferably pulverized, is normally fed into the fire-box 11, through nozzles 11", by any mechanical stoker (not shown in the drawings). The smoke, soot, cinders, and the like are drawn into the turbine 6 through the pipe 30, from the lire-box 11, by the suction caused by the fan 29, and are drawn through the said fan into the chamber-50 of the rotor 21.

After the smoke has been drawn into the chamber 50 by action of fan 29 (Which also draws the cinders and sparks from the lirebox, flue, or smoke-pipe 30) steam is admitted into the said chamber 50 through as many valve orifices 51 as Will properly" condense said smoke, sparks, cinders, and soot by its being rapidly revolved and churned therein, so that, after its exit from turbine 6, same may be discharged through a stoker back into the fire-box 11.

Piston compression blades 72 are helical in form and may be of any desired pitch. Said blades 72 are held against the highly ground surface of the rotor housing 36 at 73 by means of flat zigzag springs 74, said springs 74 being tempered to hold blades 72 in a lixed position against the said surface 73.

The opening of valves 52 is accomplished through a lyball governor, having balls 53 on the end of a bell crank lever 54, pivotally bolted to the flange 55 by means of a -bolt 56, and having on the short arm of the bell-crank 54, a cam 57 which by means of a groove 58 and a roll 59 raises the sleeve 60, t0 which is fixed the cam Wheel hub 61 of the cam 62.

When the governor balls l53 expand by centrifugal force, tension is caused on the springs 63, and as the bell-crank 54 begins to rotate around the pivot bolt 56, the cam 57 with the groove 58 tends to rotate about this said pivot 56, and, the lever 54 being secured tothe flange 55, the sleeve 60 tends to ride upward over the shaft 7 of the turbine .6.

The sleeve 60 has fixed thereto a cam 62 which moves therewith. The cam Wheel comprises a 'hub 6l, fixed to the sleeve 60 with arms 64 adapted to connect to 'the cani 62..

Holes 65, reamed in the rotor 21, receive the bushing 66, in which is pivoted the valve bell-crank lever 67, by means of a pivot pin 68. rlhe bell-crank lever 67 has a jaw end 69 adapted to receive the cam 62, and a Valve .plate 70 adapted to open and close the orifice 51. A

The cam 62 may have one or more otfsets 71, as shown in Figs. 16, 17, and 18, and these osets 71 can be timed for rests and trippings of the valve lever 67, as the conditions may warrant.

The offset position of a valve is shown in dotted lines of Fig. 6. 1

The path of the Steam is indicated by arrows in Figs. 2 and 9, and, as shown, the steam passes through an open valve, While the other two valves are closed; illustrating that one valve may be opened While the other remains closed.

The steam, in its predetermined path, and the smoke pass through the openings 75 between the ribs 76. Ribs 76 are adapted to the hub 77, and the bottom of the rotor 28, and the smoke and gases pass into the cham-v ber-78 of the support 26, and thence into the-pipe 79, after which the mixture of smoke, steam, sparks, and soot is carried by steam pressure and fan action to the stoker, to be reburned in the tire-box 11.

On therotor housing 36, is secured by bolts 81, the cap plate 80, having a center hub 82, in which the shaft 7 rotates; and, at the bottom or smaller diameter of the rotor" housing 26, is a flange 83, which is secure-@2 to the support 26 by mea-ns of bolts 84.

On the end of the shaft 7, there is fixed a worm 85and a Worm wheel 86, but it is evident that bevel gears, spiral. gears, spur gears, and the like, could be used as Well as those shown, with a shaft 87 fixed to the driven member 86, which shaft may be the axle of the Wheels 3.

In Fig. 9, a modified form of governor is illustrated having balls 53, bell-crank lever 54, flange 55,- bolt pivots 56, gear segment 57, teeth 58, gear segments 59a, sleeve 60, and springs 63.

When lthe centrifugal torce, as applied to the balls, becomes so great as to spread the balls, shown in Fig. 11, in dotted lines, then,

gear segment 57a moves gear segment 59a turning sleeve 60, over the shaft 7 of turbine 6. in Which the roller or lug 89 of the' sleeve 60 plays, riding upward and carrying sleeve 60 with it as hereinbe-ore specified.

The act-ion oi the cam 62 and valve levers 67 are precisely the same as hereinbefore described, with the exception that valve plate 7()a may be of a rectangular shape, covering the orice 51 and overlapping the bushing 66, as is clearly shown.

One object of the turbine 6 and the vacuum fan 29 is to create a draft from and through the re-box, taking by suction any Shaft 7 has a helical groove 88,

back pressure from the cylinders 5 and the piston blades 72 of turbine 6, giving the same condition that is caused by the jet con denser in the Well-known stationary engine. A further object is to draw all smoke, cinders, and sparks through the vacuum fan 29 and to keep a more even draft, just the necessary draft to create and regulate a perfect blaze, in the fire-box and through the flues of the locomotive.

It will be understood by locomotive drivers and engineers that after the superheated steam has passed through the ordinary high pressure cylinders, the steam will have lost only a comparatively small percentage of its mean effective pressure, so that when the steam enters the grooves on the turbine (instead of exhausting into the open air to create a draft), `which grooves are helical for two-thirds ofthe circumference of the said turbine, the said steam exerts sufficient force to insure powerful rotation of the said turbine.

lt will be understood that the interior of the shell of the turbines inclosing the rotor :21 is ground or otherwise formed perfectly smooth, so that the piston blades 72 will form a tight lit and Wear evenly, While serving perfectly to control the steam. Any such contacting parts of the apparatus will be vmade of a suitable bronze alloy hardened with vanadium, so as to give a good Wearing surface with the steel surface of the said shell.

The tender turbine 8 equipped with a fan 29 may be so run While the locomotive is standing still as to blow powdered fuel into the fire-box, instead of the said powdered fuel being drawn thereinto, as hereinbefore described. Y

There is a distinct advantage in power in applying driving power to Wheels located along an increased trackage. While the ordinary locomotive drives only by its driving Wheels, this locomotive'does not discard that ordinary form of driving, but adds to it driving the pony trucks at the extreme front of the locomotive and the two sets of tender trucks at the rear end of the combined and connected tender and locomotive. This Separate driving increases the pulling power of the engine. A great advantage is acquired, also, by the superheating of the steam in the interior of the turbine rotor 21 (chamber 50) in the locomotive turbine 6, due to the draft thereinto by the adjacent fans 29 of the hot air direct from the fire-box through pipes 30. y

These features may all be adapted to any locomotive non? in existence and one or more of the turbines may be applied by utilizing an additional 'set of driving trucks on either end of the locomotive, and thus using only the exhaust steam to drive the same.

By this construction, the heavy and te- Leeaaav form, arrangement and order of parts and their materials and mode of Iconstruction may be made Without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

l claim:

l. A locomotive turbine having a central shaft, means in connection with the said shaft for driving the locomotive Wheels, a truncated cone fixed to the said shaft, the said cone having grooves on its periphery, and means for the inlet and exhaust of steam.

V2. A. locomotive turbine having a central shaft, means in connection with the said shaft for driving the locomotive Wheels; a

truncated cone fixed to the said shaft, the said cone having grooves on its periphery and means for the inlet and exhaust of steam, and a governor for regulating the admission and exhaust of steam.

3. In a locomotive, the combination of a turbine having grooves upon its surface. steam pipes adapted to admit steam` tangentially intov the said grooves, a shaft adapted to be rotated by the said turbine, a fan-carrying member supported above the said turbine, the said fan-carrying member surrounding and rotatable by the said shaft, anti-friction bearings for the said member, fans borne thereby connecting with the interior of the said turbine, and pipes leading from the fire-box to the said fans.

4. The combination of a turbine, steam inlet and exhaust pipes, a furnace, and a fan adapted to serve as a forced draft for the said furnace.

5. The combination of a turbine, steam inlet and exhaust pipes, a furnace, and a fan adapted to serve as a forced draft for the said furnace, the said fan being rotated by the rotor ofthe said turbine.

6. The combination of a turbine, steam inlet and exhaust pipes, a furnace, and a fan adapted to serve as a forced draft for the said furnace, the said fan being rotated by the rotor of the said turbine, and the said fan comprising a plurality of cups opening in the direction toward which they move.

7. The combination of a turbine, steam inletv and exhaust pipes, a furnace, and a fan adapted t0 serve as a forced draft for the said furnace, the said fan being rotated by the rotor of the said turbine, and the said fan comprising a plurality of cups opening in the direction toward which they move, and so shaped within as to be adapted to In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my l signature.

FREDERICK L. MCGAHAN. 

